I Have To Ask

In my job, and in my life I watch a lot of news on TV. Sometimes it's Romona Robinson and Betsy Kling on Channel 3. And sometimes it's CNN, Fox, or some other long acronymed news channel that happens to not be playing commercials as I surf around and see what different networks have to say about different issues. And with all due respect to Romona and Betsy, on this day we'll look at the news channels. We'll give R & B some props on another day.

Through the clutter on all these news channels, one question really jumped out at me this weekend. And it pertains to ALL of these channels. No matter what the issue is, no matter how big or small, and no matter what day of the week it is, or what time of the day it is.....where do all these "experts" come from? I had no idea this country had so many experts... on everything!

Now before we move on, let's just say that there are great people interviewed on TV that can lend great insight on topical issues. But in this article, were not talking about them. We're talking about the other 95 percent.

Every show the moderator says, "Ok, now for more on this weighty issue we turn to our panel of experts, please welcome So-n-So, and Such-n-Such, and last but not least it's Who-n-Who all via satellite, thanks for being with us tonight." Sometimes it's famous people but mostly, it's just "experts." Then as experts do, they start in by saying the blah blah, and the hooey-hooey on the issue dejour And I think for many, more times than not you come away with little more knowledge than you had before our "experts" started yammering 5 minutes ago. And some times, I'm just glad that the commercial break came and their yaps were mercifully zipped.

As experts, you would think that So-n-So, Such-n-Such, and Who-n-Who would understand fully that when 4 people shout at the same time on TV that no one gets heard or understood. But they don't seem to. Also you would think as experts, they could actually be utilized better in actually working on the problems that they are experts on, and not screaming and insulting each other on TV. I'm just sayin'.

In the larger picture, you would think with all these "experts" running around, that we shouldn't have many of the problems we have in the first place! Big or small. And what did all these "experts" do BEFORE cable news channels? What did they do with all this pent up expertedness inside them just yearning to come bursting forward? I have no idea. Did we have a rash of exploding experts that I am unaware of? Again, I have no idea.

I think it's clear now that I am not an "expert" on "experts" here. After watching a dizzying array of them over the past weekend, I have no better understanding of these egg-heads than I did before. But we watch. And we go to work the next day and say at the water cooler, "I was watching this guy on CNN last night, and he was saying.......blah blah blah.." And then someone asks, "Wow, who said that?" And you invariably say, "I don't know some, expert on such-n-such." After all that air time and the shouting and all the profundity, we can't even remember their names.

Thankless job this expert stuff.